Adventure #10: How To Improve Your Health, Save Money, And Keep Your Dollars Local

What if I told you there was a way to keep more of your hard earned dollars within your local community, minimize wasted time commuting, and reduce what you personally spend on your vehicle(s)? Would you be interested? What if I told you that doing this same thing could also reduce the odds of your home being damaged by floods or wildfires, increase local water security (key for those of us living in dry climates), and improve the health of your loved ones? Sound too good to be true? Think again! A recent study from RMI backs up these very real possibilities .

The Solution (Hear Me Out)

The solution I’m talking about is (gulp) increased housing density. Ok I know, maybe not the solution for everyone, but before you throw your hands up in disgust and find something else to read, just hear me out please. I haven’t been the biggest fan of high density housing either. I really want to see nature when I walk out my door or look out my windows. I grew up in the northeastern US and spent the majority of my life living either directly in, or at least a short walk from, lush green woods. When we moved to Colorado, I was shocked by the small yards and close proximity of houses. Sometimes I feel like everywhere I look I see signs of people and the unsustainable burden we humans are placing on Earth’s precious resources.?

The Benefits

But the analysis from RMI gave me a new way of looking at things. The fact that the yards are small and the houses are close together is actually a good thing for the planet and its people in many ways, including:?

• If done properly, your community should have most everything you need within walking or biking distance, including jobs. As a result you can reduce the time you spend commuting places, while increasing your exercise and health.?

• You may also be able to minimize the money you spend purchasing vehicles, going down to one or none. And you should put less miles on whatever vehicle(s) you do have, therefore spending less on maintaining and fueling them.?

• This also means that you'll spend more of your money at local shops and other businesses, which are likely to be run by people you know and care about. You work hard for your money and you deserve to have it benefit your local community.?

• Increased housing density reduces sprawl. This helps to protect farmland and carbon sinks like wetlands, grasslands, and forests which can provide resilience against floods and wildfires. It also protects more of nature’s beauty for us to enjoy.?

• Smaller lawns and shared green spaces result in using less water, increasing water security, which is a very important consideration for anyone in a dry or desert climate. According to the EPA , nearly one-third of all residential water used in the US, almost 9 billion gallons per day, is attributed to landscape irrigation. In the Southwest, that ratio can be as high as 60%.?

• According to the RMI study, increased housing density could “reduce annual US pollution by 70 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2033”. If you or anyone you love suffers from asthma or another respiratory condition, you already know the impact that local air quality can have on health, especially in kids . Even for someone without a respiratory condition, it’s not recommended to exercise outside on high ozone days , which unfortunately occur pretty frequently where I live in Colorado.?

Ok Maybe, But How??

With all of these amazing benefits on the line, I’m rethinking my opinion on housing density. But in order to realize these benefits, communities need to plan correctly. Happy Cities is an urban planning, design, and architecture firm, based in Vancouver, focused on creating happier, healthier, and more inclusive communities. In this article they provide three key guidelines:?

1. Build complete neighborhoods that support a mix of local shops and services, encouraging people to walk and spend time on the street.
2. Expand housing choices to include diverse types of attainable, affordable housing and compact communities that meet local needs.
3. Design housing with a focus on creating shared amenities and promoting interaction among residents.?

My ask of readers this week is to try to keep an open mind around increased housing density, especially if you find yourself in a position to vote on land use reform in your area. Reading the article from Happy Cities really inspired me. It left me with visions of a world where we not only know our neighbors better, but also take care of each other and engage in fun activities together. I believe that scenario would have many benefits for people and the planet beyond emissions reduction, by helping us to reconnect with our communities, reduce homelessness, and create a kinder, more vibrant society overall.

If you're feeling inspired to act, you can complete this Action Playbook from Climate Changemakers to abolish parking mandates in your area. This action should take you 30 minutes or less and helps to eliminate one of the barriers to more walkable communities.

Until Next Time

You may have noticed I changed up the format a bit this week. I’ve been feeling really called to write about sustainability topics at the moment. But those take much longer to choose, research, and write. I may move to just putting out one shorter article per week or putting out two articles - one on sustainability and one sharing something I learned that week. I’d be interested in any feedback from my readers on what you would prefer. And as always, let me know if you have any topics you’d like me to cover in a future article. Thanks for reading!

Like and Subscribe

If you are enjoying these articles then please click the Subscribe button at the top right of this page or Click Here . Don't be afraid to Like and Comment as well.